Enspert Identity Tab E301 and E201 hands-on preview

Android tablets aren't exactly in short supply at CES 2011, but the Enspert Identity Tab stands out -- despite hailing from a manufacturer we'd never heard of before the show. Enspert's got two slick 7-inch slates on the floor, and while the E201 mostly cribs from Samsung's WiFi-only Galaxy Tab -- right down to a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird chip -- the flagship Enspert E301 pumps up the pixel density with a 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, adds an all-metal case, a mobile DTV antenna, and 3G connectivity. We poked and prodded these tablets all over and got a peek at the full spec sheets, so after you peruse our gallery below, hit the break for details!

Update: It seems Enspert isn't new to the Android game at all -- it's actually Inbrics, which renamed itself after acquiring a semiconductor design firm early last year.
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Enspert E301: There's nothing quite like a device made of metal and glass, as Apple well knows, and the Enspert E301 feels like a premium device because of both. Make no mistake, we're looking at an aluminum sandwich rather than a single machined unibody here -- and these prototypes had plenty of rough edges to boot -- but the E301 felt like a solid, attractive device and had very little flex to speak of. The spacious screen is not only quick and accurate, but also quite pretty for a standard TFT LCD, with good horizontal viewing angles and bright colors, and seemingly without the the oversaturation of Samsung's slate's screen. Power and volume buttons reside on one edge, a mix of capacitive and physical Android keys join a 1.3 megapixel webcam up front, there's a 5 megapixel autofocus imager around back, and all the ports (including microSD, micro-HDMI, mini-USB and a 3.5mm headphone jack) are actually on a tiny slab that slightly swings out of the bottom, next to tiny speakers and a pop-out TV antenna. While overseas products typically ditch their DMB antennas before making the journey stateside, that actually may not be the case here, as the E301 actually supports ATSC-M/H, the new Mobile DTV standard for us roaming US bumpkins.

Under the hood, you'll find a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, PowerVR SGX 540 graphics, 8GB of flash storage and 512MB of RAM, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1, a gyroscope, accelerometer, compass and ambient light sensor, and either a 4,100 mAh or 4,400 mAh battery good for 4 or 4.5 hours of uninterrupted video playback -- depending on which spec sheet you trust. Enspert's prototypes ran Android 2.2, but reps told us it'll sport Gingerbread at launch, and they're hoping to have it run Honeycomb later on. Unfortunately, they couldn't confirm whether it'd have Android Market (and other Google apps) on board, saying the company needed to get GSM certification for the device first.

Enspert E201: Presently saddled with Android 2.1 (Enspert promises Froyo soon), the E201 still feels like a speedy, capable machine if not nearly as stylish or high-resolution as its successor. We only had a few minutes to toss it around, but it felt well-constructed and responded quickly to our touch, and we were surprised to find the fixed-focus 3 megapixel camera around back took decent snapshots, though the LCD panel looked a little sub-par. The Samsung Hummingbird's embedded PowerVR SGX540 graphics chip still pulls its weight here, as Asphalt 5 and Angry Birds played butter-smooth. Interestingly, there's a full-size SDHC card slot and a micro-HDMI socket under a flap up top. Tiny twin speakers and a mini-USB charge cable live on the bottom, there's a front-facing camera, mic and three physical Android buttons up front, and volume buttons on the side. What lies beneath that faux metal frame? Pretty much the same stuff as the E301, though a product brochure claims it will have a smaller 3,000mAh battery even as the spec sheet lists a 4,100mAh pack.

While Enspert tells us its products are already tooling around Korea, they'll be coming stateside soon -- the Identity Tab E301 is "coming to a major US wireless carrier for a back-to-school launch," while the WiFi-only E201 will hit brick-and-mortar Best Buy stores in the first quarter of this year. We're looking forward to see how they size up. Press release below!

Update: Enspert told Electronista that the E201 will cost between $200 and $250, and the E301 will be "under $300." Remember, that latter figure likely includes a carrier subsidy.

Show full PR text

ENSPERT UNVEILS LINE OF NEXT-GENERATION MULTIMEDIA ANDROID TABLETS AS PART OF 2011 IDENTITY PRODUCT ARSENAL

LAS VEGAS – January 5, 2011 – Enspert (http://enspert.com), a leading media convergence solution and device provider, is introducing its 2011 IDENTITY product line featuring a series of affordable Android-based multimedia tablets today at International CES. The IDENTITY tab is an innovative media and productivity device for education and entertainment, delivering color LCD e-book reader capabilities along with HD-quality video playback and Web browsing. Highlights include:

The IDENTITY tab E201 is Wi-Fi enabled and scheduled to be available at a leading consumer electronics retailer in the U.S. in early 2011. The E301 with Wi-Fi and 3G will likely be available shortly after.

Varying IDENTITY E300 series models, including the IDENTITY E301 with Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, will be available through a leading U.S. wireless carrier in time for the 2011 back-to-school season.

The IDENTITY E302 model is Wimax enabled and slated for distribution in select in European and Asian markets.

The E300 series of tablets are based on the Android Gingerbread platform.

"Communication, productivity and multimedia sharing should be a seamless experience across devices. We empower consumers to enhance their digital lifestyle with our platform of imaginative media convergence technologies," said Chang-Suk Lee, CEO of Enspert. "The human experience is at the heart of how we design our technology offerings, with a goal of providing an expansive and intuitive environment for consuming diverse media formats."

Enspert marries the latest in portable mobile technology with elegant and fashionable devices that express the way we live and work today. In addition to the IDENTITY tab collection, the 2011 IDENTITY line features an ecosystem of smart connected devices that leverage the open-source Android operating system including smartphones, multi-device media convergence hubs, VoIP and SoIP systems, mobile hotspots and more. The new lineup of IDENTITY devices is available for demo at 2011 International CES in the South Hall Upper Level & Connector, booth number 36218, from January 6-9.

"In addition, Enspert will be offering a sneak peek at future tablet devices and presenting our vision of the tablet market at CES," continued Lee.

Enspert products, including the IDENTITY tablets, support maximum connectivity between neighboring multimedia devices using the ConvergenceOne platform, the optimal solution for 3-screen media convergence in IP-based fixed/wireless integrated network environments. Connectivity between tablets, smartphones, IPTV and PCs via DLNA protocol facilitates the sharing of digital multimedia content and allows various applications to be downloaded from the App Store.

"We're looking forward to demonstrating the latest Enspert technology at CES and expanding our presence into the U.S. and beyond," said Sang-su Lee, president of Enspert. "The IDENTITY tab E201 has already been released in Korea with KT, Korea's leading wireless carrier, and is one of few tablets commercially available through a wireless carrier. Global market demand for Enspert devices will expand rapidly starting with entry into the North American market in January and distribution announcements with some of the continent's most prominent distributors will follow shortly after."

For more information, stop by the Enspert booth at CES - South Hall Upper Level & Connector, booth number 36218.